Tom Brady Doesn't Want Healthy Players Resting in Week 18: 'Iron Sharpens Iron'

If you're an NFL player who's healthy and able to play this weekend, Tom Brady wants to see you put the pads on and get out there for at least a little bit in Week 18.

In the most recent edition of "Story Time with Tom," Brady emphatically stated his belief that fully healthy players should play in their team's regular-season finale, even if their team has already secured a playoff spot and knows their postseason seeding. He also didn't state any regrets about playing the full four quarters of the New England Patriots' regular-season finale against the New York Giants in 2007, when they completed a perfect regular season before losing to that same team in Super Bowl XLII. 

"That was actually one of the best games of the year, when we went to the Meadowlands to take on the Giants in Week 17," Brady said. "We played our butts off in that game, just like they did, and it was a great kind of Super Bowl preview. But we felt sharp throughout. We knew we had the bye week after that. 

"To take an extended period of time off when you have the bye and take the extra week, I think that's a lot of time off for sure. Again, you don't wanna be rusty going into the biggest games of the year against the best teams."

While the Patriots were able to beat the Giants in that matchup, they needed a four-quarter effort to do so. They trailed early in the fourth quarter until Brady threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss, a play that set the record for the most touchdown passes thrown (50 for Brady) and touchdown receptions caught (23 for Moss) in a single season in NFL history. New England eventually held on to win, 38-35, but lost to New York in Super Bowl XLII five weeks later, 17-14. 

As the years have passed, some have debated